Integrated Nonlinear Photonic Devices

Citation

Oh, Dong Yoon (2018) Integrated Nonlinear Photonic Devices. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/Z95H7DGT. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:11122017-215023206

Abstract

Chip-scale nonlinear optics can provide important new functions in communications, frequency metrology and spectroscopy. Optical microcavities enhance nonlinear optical effects through resonant recirculation. This recirculation dramatically reduces the required power in applications and also lowers signal noise. A key figure-of-merit is the optical Q factor, which provides a dimensionless scale of optical storage time within the microcavity. In this thesis, a novel integrated ultra-high-Q microcavity with Q as high as 230 million is presented. The device is applied to demonstrate multiple functions including electronic-rate soliton microcomb generation and stimulated Brillouin laser operation. For soliton generation, the resonator must be engineered to produce optical mode families that feature anomalous dispersion. This engineering is applied to generate solitons at wavelengths of 1064 nm and 778 nm. Systems-on-a-chip applications of these devices are discussed including compact optical synthesizers, optical clocks and rotation sensors. Finally, a compact array of silica ridge waveguides is described and applied for efficient and coherent ultraviolet-to-visible comb generation by dispersive-wave generation. Unlike other devices used to broaden spectra such as micro-structured fibers, these arrays provide a wide range of emission wavelength choices on a single chip. The arrays can also enable mode-locked lasers to attain greatly extended spectral reach for spectroscopy, bioimaging, tomography and metrology.

Thesis Files